Interfaith plans for Albany homeless center advance

West Hill residents who tried to derail project lose lawsuit

Updated 2:17 pm, Monday, June 16, 2014

Editor's note: Photos accompanying an earlier version of the story contained photos of a building that is not connected with the project described.

Albany

Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless will move forward with plans to open a drop-in center in the former St. Casimir's School after winning a lawsuit seeking to block the project.

The suit was brought by four West Hill residents — including the wife of a county legislator — who attempted to reverse the project's approval by the city Board of Zoning Appeals in a 4-1 vote last June.

Joyce Love was one of four plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit. Love lives on Sheridan Avenue with her husband, 2nd District County Legislator Merton Simpson.

Last spring, the couple rallied with other residents against the project, citing safety concerns.

The suit contended the city appeals board failed to properly consider how the facility, which offers services to the homeless and others living in poverty, would impact the neighborhood. It also claimed Interfaith failed to prove that failure to receive the variance would create a financial hardship.

The Appellate Division of state Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the city panel had the authority to approve the Interfaith use variance application, wrote Acting Supreme Court Justice Kimberly A. O'Connor.

Interfaith will proceed to purchase the former Catholic school for $100,000 and move its existing South Swan Street drop-in center to the new and larger location at 315 Sheridan Ave.

"The number of people with needs keep growing," said Janine Robitaille, executive director of Interfaith Partnership.

Robitaille said the move will allow Interfaith to expands its services, which include a hot meal daily, a food and clothing pantry, a laundry facility, health counseling, and eventually a medical respite program for people coming out of hospitals who are homeless and need a place to recover.

"Many people don't know where to go or can't navigate the system," said Robitaille. "So we bring the services to them."